Horn motor and relay unit



PIil 20, 1943- R. H. Hau.

HORN MOTOR AND RELAY UNIT Filed April so, 1940 Patented Apr. 20, 1943 HORN Moron AND RELAY UNIT Robert 11m. Anderson, Ind., assignor to Goneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a cornora-tien of Delaware Appiioaaon April sfo, 1940, serial No. 332,592

(c1. 17m-i) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile warning signals.

In operating simultaneously a pair of electrical horns on an automobile, it is the practice to carry the current from the battery to the two horns through a relay whose magnet coil is in circuit with the horn button. Heretofore the relay has been a unit separate from the horns.

It is an object of the present invention to con;- struct one of the horns and the relay as a unitary structure using parts of the horn to support the relay magnet and armature and to furnish part of the magnetic circuit of the relay. As a result, the cost of manufacture and of installation of the relay is reduced. Y

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a horn and relay unit embodying the present invention with the cover removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary side View, partly in section, looking in theJ direction of arrow 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram of the circuits of the relay and two horns.

In the drawing, a collar carries a projector or trumpet 2l and is fastened together with a gasket 22 and a diaphragm 23 to a base 24 by screws 25 and nuts 26 (Fig. 2) Fig. l shows the ends of studs 21 mounted on base 24 and receiving nuts 28 by which brackets 29 are fastened to the studs 21. Brackets 29-are fastened by rivets 3l (Fig. 2) to an E-shaped laminated magnet core 30. Core 36 receives a magnet coil 32. A rod 33 passes through the core 30 and through spacer 34, diaphragm 23, spacer 35 and coop'- erates with a nut 36 which clamps these pants against a shoulder 33a of the rod 33. Againsta shoulder 33D of rod 33, a nut 31 clamps a spring 38, a spacer 39 and an armature 40. A nut 4l is adjustable along the rod 33.

A U or channelled frame 42 (Fig. 4) fastened to base 24 supports a stack of parts comprising (from bottom to top), the armature spring 38, insulator 43, contact bracket 44, terminal plate 45, insulator 46, terminal plate 41, circuit breaker Contact blade spring 48, insulating strip 49, circuit breaker contact bracket 50. These parts are fastened by rivets 5| (Fig. 4) insulated from all parts except frame 42 and bracket 50.

Blade spring 48 carries contact 52 (extending through a hole in strip 49) engaging Contact 53 on bracket 50. Nut 4l on armature rod 33 engages strip 49 to move blade spring 48 downwardly thereby to separate contact 52 from Contact 53 at a certain instant during movement of armature 48 toward core 33. Contacts 52 and 53 control the circuit of magnet coil 32. Therefore the horn motor operates after the fashion of a buzzer to oscillate the diaphragm 23. A resistance 54 shunts contacts 52 and 53 to reduce sparking (Figs. 1 and 5).

The control relay forming a part of this horn motor includes a base secured to horn motor base 24 and supporting a frame 6| having an upwardly extending vertical flange 62 and a downwardly extending flange 63. Flange 62 sup'- ports relay magnet center core 84 and coil 64a. Core 64 and an extension 42a of frame 42 (which is of steel) provide pole pieces of the magnetic circuit toward which an armature 65 is attracted. Armature 65 is hingedly supported on frame flange 63 by a leaf spring hinge plate 66. Armature 65 insulatingly supports a blade spring 61 carrying contact 6B for engaging a contact 69 on bracket 44.

A battery 1i) is connected with terminal 1| connected by wire 12 with relay coil 64a connected by wire 13 with terminal 14 to which the horn button switch 15 is connected. A bared portion 12a of wire 12 is connected by a flexible wire 15 with blade spring 61. Contact bracket 44 is electrically connected with plate 45; and a wire 16 connects plate 45 with horn motor coil 32. A wire 11 connects coil 32 with plate 41 electrically connected with contact blade spring 48 carrying contact 52. A wire 18 connects plate 41 with spark-reducing resistance 54 which is grounded. Contact 53 is grounded through its bracket 50, rivets 5I, frame 42, base 24 and automobile chassis. A clip (Fig, 3) fastened to base 24 secures wires 12 and 13 against vibration.

A wire 8| connects plate 45 with the second horn motor having coil 32', contacts 52' and 53', and spark-reducing resistance 54.

Closing the horn-button switch 15 causes relay coil 64a to be energized to effect the closing of relay contacts 68 and 69 thereby connecting the battery 1D with the magnet coils 32 and 32' of the two horns which sound as long as the switch 15 is closed.

In the combined horn motor and relay unit of the present invention, the relay has been provided at less cost than possible if the relay were a separate unit since the relay cover and one of its contact brackets has been furnished by the horn motor. Cover 90 encloses the horn-motor and relay unit. No additional space is required since the lhorn-motor stack-bracket d2 houses the relay core and coil.

The cost of separately installing the relay has been eliminated.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might -be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A horn-motor and relay unit comprising a horn base, an electromagnet carried by the base, a U-shaped frame mounted on the base, a stack of parts mounted upon the yoke of said frame, said stack including a circuit breakerv'to be actuated by said electromagnet, terminal plates, insulators and a bracket carrying additional contact, arelay core and coil disposed between the sides of the frame and under the yoke, a core frame supporting the core and mounted on the horn base, and a relay armature supported by the core frame and carrying a contact for engaging the said additional contact.

2. A unit according to claim 1 in which the yoke of the U-shaped frame provides one of the pole pieces toward which the relay armature moves.

3. A horn-motor and relay unit comprising a horn base, a hollowed frame mounted on the base, a circuit breaker mounted on the frame and having an additional contact, an armature for actuating the circuit breaker, a magnet coil for attracting the armature and having connection with said additional contact, and a relay mounted on the base for controlling the magnet coil, said relay including a center core and a coil located within the hollow of said frame, a relay armature having a contact for engaging the additional contact and a bracket secured to the base 20 for support of the core independent of the hol- 

